Computing & Information Technology is pleased to report that the 2017 IT Services Survey shows 83 percent of respondents had a favorable overall satisfaction rating for IT services at Wayne State University. Since 2013, C&IT has used the Higher Education TechQual+ Project to ask current students, faculty and staff to rate the quality of IT services on campus. Satisfaction ratings from students, faculty and staff have seen consistent growth in that time, with students showing the largest increase.

Responses are used to guide C&IT’s operations, planning, staffing and investment activities. This survey is a way for C&IT to remain engaged with the WSU community and communicate with customers in a meaningful, sustainable and mutually beneficial way.

The survey

TechQual is an ongoing shared research project that uses the SERVQUAL methodology and seeks to measure three core commitments expected of IT organizations in higher education.

1. Faculty, students, and staff want great technology services, particularly online services;
2. They want to be able to access those services from anywhere, at any time, in a reliable and effective manner; and
3. They want consistent and timely support whenever necessary so that they can use technology as effectively as possible.

The core survey contains 13 items that assess the quality of services as related to the three core commitments. Each core commitment is measured through four separate items, or IT service outcomes. Survey items are informed by focus groups from the participating institutions, and are revised as necessary to reflect new trends and shifting expectations. Institutions that participate in TechQual gain the benefit of measuring a key set of concepts of proven importance to faculty, students and staff.

C&IT is constantly seeking new ways to improve and the feedback from this survey helps us better manage our services. That improvement can be seen in two major projects C&IT began in 2017: the continued expansion of WSU’s Wi-Fi network and the adoption of Canvas as a replacement for Blackboard.

Wi-Fi

C&IT uses survey feedback to help determine which areas of the campus need the most improvement in Wi-FI capacity. C&IT has invested $250,000 annually over the past five years, and has nearly doubled the total number of wireless access points on campus during that time.  Despite this investment, more is needed as Wi-Fi device growth has tripled during the same time span.  Consequently, C&IT is developing a plan to fund and implement a next-gen Wi-Fi that offers faster speeds, higher capacity, and enhanced management capabilities.

Blackboard and Canvas

Survey respondents also frequently expressed their displeasure with Blackboard’s feature set and interface.  A project to formally review learning management system alternatives began in winter 2016, with faculty and students participating in the process. The recommended solution was to switch to Canvas, and Wayne State began the migration in spring 2017 and anticipates completion before the start of 2018 fall semester.  Canvas will help alleviate common issues faced by both faculty and support staff, and will provide students with the tools they need to learn and succeed.

Positive feedback

These surveys are also an opportunity for us to hear directly from students, faculty and staff about things that are going well.  C&IT strives to provide excellent customer service and remain a valuable partner to all WSU departments, and we are extremely pleased to see this commitment reflected in the survey responses:

• The C&IT team is responsive, friendly and knowledgeable. I appreciate the respectful attitude of the staff, as well as their patience.
• When I compare my IT experience to peers in Higher Ed, or to peers in my field in other type organizations, I realize my experience is second to none.
• I have watched IT expand at Wayne State from a rather loosely organized and not very reliable service in the 1990s to a top-notch, reliable and communicative service, with professionals very aware of the needs to faculty
• C&IT has been invaluable, responsive and professional. There has been tremendous improvement in processes.

C&IT, WSU’s central IT organization, in the Division of Academic Affairs, provides technology services and resources that support and enhance WSU's teaching, learning, research and administrative activities. Daren Hubbard is Chief Information Officer (CIO) for WSU and Associate Vice President for C&IT. C&IT is proud to provide both personal and institutional technology assistance. Contact the C&IT Help Desk at 313-577-4357 or helpdesk@wayne.edu for assistance. Learn more about C&IT at tech.wayne.edu